Container and blank therefor



March 28, 1967 KQRR CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1965 INVENTOR. ABRAHAM L. KORE BY q 3 v u-v zg ATTORNEYS.

March 28, 1967 A. 1.. KORR 3,311,285

CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed April 5, 1965 2 Sheets$heet 2 1, is i ABRAHAM L, K0,?

ATTO EYS United States Patent 3,311,285 CGNTAENER AND BLANK TIEREFGR Abraham L. Kerr, 8712 Hickory Drive, Philadelphia, Pa. B135 Fiied Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,570 Ciaims. (Cl. 229-31) This invention relates to a novel container, and a blank therefor. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a container and a blank therefor structurally interrelated in a manner whereby an edible food product sealed within the container may be heated and/ or cooked without opening the package.

The container and blank of the present invention are constructed so that they may be manufactured at high speeds on conventional equipment requiring a minimum amount of changes to the equipment. At the same time, the container and blank therefor are simple and reliable while facilitating heating or cooking raw or precooked food within the container without the necessity of opening the container. 1

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel container and blank therefor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel container and blank therefor which will facilitate heating food within the container without opening the container.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the blank of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a partially closed container in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a closed container in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 1A is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 1AIA in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a blank designated generally as 10. The blank includes a bottom panel 12 connected to a top panel 14 by a side panel 16. A fold line 18 is disposed between the panels 12 and 16. A fold line 20 is disposed between the panels 14 and 16.

The bottom panel 12 is also provided with opposed side panels 22 and 22. A fold line 24 is provided between panels 12 and 22. A fold line 24 is provided between panels 12 and 22.

A flap 26 is joined to the side panel 22 by a fold line 28. A flap 26' is joined to the side panel 22 by a fold line 28. Flap 26 terminates in a tab 30 extending for the full length thereof. Flap 26' terminates in a tab 30' extending for the full length thereof. A layer of electrically conductive material 34 overlies tab 30, fiap 26, panel 22 and a small portion of bottom panel 12. A layer of electrically conductive material 36 overlies tab 30', fiap 26, panel 22 and a small portion of bottom panel 12. The layers 34 and 36 extend along opposite side edges of the bottom panel 12 and are preferably made from a material such as aluminum foil.

Side panels 16 and 22 are joined together by gores 38 and 49 which in turn are connected by a fold line 42. Side panels 16 and 22' are joined together by gores 44 and 46 which in turn are connected together by a fold line 48.

Opposite side panel 16, there is provided a sidepanel 56. Panel 56 is connected to the bottom panel 12 by a fold line 58. Panels 56 and 22 are connected together by gores 50 and 52 which in turn are connected together by a fold line 54.

Panels 56 and 22' are connected together by gores 60 and 62 which in turn are connected together by a fold line 64. A tab 66 is provided on the panel 56 with a fold line 68 therebetween.

The top panel 14 is provided with a side panel 70 joined thereto along a fold line 72. The top panel 14 is provided with a second side panel 74 joined thereto along a fold line 76. The top panel 14 is provided with an end panel 78 and joined thereto along fold line 80. End panel 78 is provided with flaps 82 and 86. Panel 78 and flap 82 are joined along fold line 84. Panel 78 and flap 86 are joined along fold line 88.

The blank 10 is made from a single sheet of electrically non-conductive material such as kraft paper or paperboard. Preferably, the sheet of material from which the blank It) is made is provided with a coating of a polymeric material such as polyethylene on the side remote from layers 34 and 36. Any other polymeric material which can be joined to itself or other materials by the application of heat may be utilized. The layers 34 and 36 are bonded to the blank 10 by an adhesive. I prefer to use #33-1460 white adhesive available commercially from National Starch for bonding the layers 34 and 36 to the blank 10. Any other adhesive having the following characteristics may be used; approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, good shelf life for six months, usable in the temperature range of -40 F. to about 226 F., and non-soluble in water.

In FIGURE 2, there is illustrated a container partially assembled from the blank 10. In assembling the container, the gores are folded so as to overlap the next adjacent gore. For example, gore 44 will overlap gore 46 and each of these gores will overlap panel 22'. The flaps 26 and 26' overlie the folded gores as well as their respective side panels 22 and 22 respectively. The tabs 3!} and 31? overlie the bottom panel 12.

When the fiap 26' and side panel 22 are in an upright disposition and the container is assembled, heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the juxtaposed faces of side panel 22 and flap 26 so as to join the same with the folded gores therebetween. Likewise, heat is applied to the juxtaposed faces of side panel 22' and flap 26 with the gores disposed therebetween so as to join the same by a heat sealed joint. In this regard, it will be noted that the polymeric coatings on the juxtaposed faces are being joined together by fusion at temperatures of about 280 F. To facilitate application of pressure, a back-up plate or jig may be utilized adjacent the inner surface of the container.

Thereafter, a food product is disposed within the container such as meat and gravy, soup, noodles and sauce, etc. The food product may be partially cooked if desired and is either pre-frozen or frozen within the container. Thereafter, the cover is assembled so as to provide the container in a closed disposition as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Thereafter, the side and end panels 70, 74-, and 78 will be joined to the juxtaposed faces of panels 22, 22' and 56 respectively. This joining step is accomplished by application of heat and pressure as referred to above. In this regard, the polymeric coating on the inner surface of panels 70, 74 and 78 acts as a heat sealing medium. The frozen nature of the food product facilitates the application of pressure so that juxtaposed faces to be joined are in good contact. As a result thereof, a completely sealed container having a food product therein will be provided.

In accordance with the present invention, the food prodnot within the container may be heated or cooked without opening the same. The layers 34 and 36 extend along the side edges of the bottom panel '12 on the exterior surface thereof. Said layers 34 and 36 also extend along the inner periphery of the opposite sides of the container so as to be in contact With the food product for the entire height of the container. When electrical current is connected to the exposed portions of the layers 34 and 36, the food product and any liquid associated therewith forms a part of the circuit and is heated as a result thereof. For most food products, the heating requires a time period of less than about one minute per lb. of food product. The cooking temperature never exceeds the boiling point of water so as not to melt the adhesive or the polymeric coating. Thereafter, the container may be opened and the food product is ready to be served.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A tray-like container wherein food may be heated comprising a bottom panel, a first pair of upstanding oppositely disposed side panels, a second pair of upstanding oppositely disposed side panels, means joining adjacent edges of said first and second pairs of side panels, flaps connected to said first pair of side panels at the respective upper edges thereof and overlying said means joining the adjacent edges, a cover for said container, said cover being connected to the upper edge of one of said second pair of side panels, said bottom panel, said side panels and said cover being constructed of electrically non-conductive material, and layers of electrically conductive material overlying at least portions of said flaps in communication with the interior of the container and overlying portions of said second pair of panels in communication with the exterior of the container so that said layers of electrically conductive material extend from within the container to the exterior thereof, and said layers of electrically conductive material being out of electrical contact with each other so that application of an electrical potential to the layers of material is effective to pass current through the interior of the container, thereby heating the contents thereof.

2. A tray-like container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said layers of electrically conductive material also overlie portions of said bottom panel in communication with the exterior of the container.

3. A tray-like container in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means joining adjacent edges of said first and second pairs of side panels comprise a pair of gores.

4. A tray-like container in accordance with claim 3 wherein said layers of electrically conductive material are layers of aluminum foil, said panels and flaps being made of paper having a coating of polymeric material thereon on surfaces thereof remote from said layers.

5. A blank adapted to be folded to form a container comprising a bottom panel, a first pair of opposedly disposed side panels connected at respective first edges thereof to said bottom panel, a second pair of opposedly disposed side panels connected at respective first edges thereof to said bottom panel, means for joining adjacent edges of said first and second pairs of side panels, flaps connected to said first pair of side panels at respective second edges thereof and adapted to overlie said corner means, a cover panel connected to second edge of one of said second pair of side panels, said bottom panel, said side panels and said cover panel being constructed of electrically nonconductive material, and continuous layers of electrically conductive material extending from and overlying contiguous surfaces of said bottom panel, said first pair of side panels, and said flaps, said layers being out of contact with each other so that when said blank is folded to form a container said layers of electrically conductive material extend fro-m the bottom panel at the exterior of the container to an interior portion thereof defined by said flaps.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,336 l/1892 Munson. 1,892,254 12/1932 Schmitt. 2,005,351 6/ 1935 Rosenblatt. 2,322,345 6/1943 Cage. 2,506,962 5/ 1950' Madan. 2,808,192 10/1957 Raisin 229-35 X 2,979,252 4/ 1961 Bergstein 2293.5 X

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examinerv 

1. A TRAY-LIKE CONTAINER WHEREIN FOOD MAY BE HEATED COMPRISING A BOTTOM PANEL, A FIRST PAIR OF UPSTANDING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE PANELS, A SECOND PAIR OF UPSTANDING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE PANELS, MEANS JOINING ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF SIDE PANELS, FLAPS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF SIDE PANELS AT THE RESPECTIVE UPPER EDGES THEREOF AND OVERLYING SAID MEANS JOINING THE ADJACENT EDGES, A COVER FOR SAID CONTAINER, SAID COVER BEING CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF SIDE PANELS, SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID SIDE PANELS AND SAID COVER BEING CONSTRUCTED OF ELECTRICALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, AND LAYERS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL OVERLYING AT LEAST PORTIONS OF SAID FLAPS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER AND OVERLYING PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF PANELS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER SO THAT SAID LAYERS OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL EXTEND FROM WITHIN THE 